Birds of Vietnam, Bird Species in Vietnam

Cuc Phuong National Park, Ninh Binh, Vietnam

Let's join AdventureGreen on our bird quests to learn about the different birds and bird species in Vietnam. Here you can find out more about the birding spots that these bird species are found.

Glareolidae is a family of birds in the wader suborder Lari, order Charadriiformes. It contains two distinct groups, the pratincoles and the coursers.

Vanellus is the genus of waders which provisionally contains all lapwings except red-kneed dotterel, Erythrogonys cinctus. 

1/ River lapwing (Te cựa, Vanellus duvaucelii)

2/ Northern lapwing (Te mào, Vanellus vanellus), also known as the peewit or pewit, tuit or tewit, green plover, or (in Ireland and Great Britain) pyewipe or just lapwing

3/ Grey-headed lapwing (Te vàng, Vanellus cinereus)

4/ Red-wattled lapwing (Te vặt,Vanellus indicus)

The term Charadriiformes comes from New Latin, combining the Greek word kharadrios ("a bird of river valleys" or "a bird of ravines") and the Latin suffix -formes meaning "forms" or "shaped like". Therefore, Charadriiformes translates to "birds shaped like or resembling the charadrius," which is a type of plover or stone curlew historically found in dry river beds or ravines. 

The family name Charadriidae has the same origin as the order name from the Greek word kharadrios ("a bird of river valleys" or "a bird of ravines").

Vanellus is a Latin word meaning "little fan". The name refers to the sound of the wings in flight, which was compared to the sound of a winnowing fan. It is a diminutive of the Latin word vannus (“fan for winnowing grain”). 

Pluvialis is a genus of plovers, a group of wading birds comprising four species that breed in the temperate or Arctic Northern Hemisphere.
The genus name is Latin and means relating to rain, from pluvia, "rain". It was believed the birds flocked when rain was imminent.

1/ Pacific golden plover (Choi choi vàng, Pluvialis fulva)
 The specific epithet is also from Latin and means 'tawny' or 'yellowish-brown'.

2/ grey plover or black-bellied plover (Choi choi xám, Pluvialis squatarola) 
The species name squatarola is a Latinised version of Sgatarola, a Venetian name for some kind of plover.

Grey plover or black-bellied plover 
(Choi choi xám, Pluvialis squatarola) 

The grey plover or black-bellied plover (Pluvialis squatarola) is a large plover breeding in Arctic regions.
The bird is a long-distance migrant, with a nearly worldwide coastal distribution when not breeding.

Charadriiformes is based on the Greek word kharadrios meaning "of ravines" or "of river valleys". This Greek word comes from kharadra, meaning "ravine," and it is associated with a yellowish bird from ancient Greek and Roman texts, possibly the ringed plover. 

The genus name is Latin and means relating to rain, from pluvia, "rain". It was believed the birds flocked when rain was imminent.
The species name squatarola is a Latinised version of Sgatarola, a Venetian name for some kind of plover.

Pacific golden plover (Choi choi vàng, Pluvialis fulva)

The Pacific golden plover (Pluvialis fulva) is a migratory shorebird that breeds during summer in Alaska and Siberia.

The bird is migratory, and breeds during May, June, and July in Alaska and Siberia. It migrates south to Asia, Australasia, and Pacific islands in August and September, and stays until April or May.

Charadriiformes is based on the Greek word kharadrios meaning "of ravines" or "of river valleys". This Greek word comes from kharadra, meaning "ravine," and it is associated with a yellowish bird from ancient Greek and Roman texts, possibly the ringed plover. 
The genus name is Latin and means relating to rain, from pluvia, "rain". It was believed the birds flocked when rain was imminent.
The specific epithet fulva is from Latin adjective and means 'tawny' or 'yellowish-brown'.

Charadrius is a genus of plovers, a group of wading birds in the family Charadriidae, in the order Charadriiformes. 

1/ Common ringed plover or ringed plover (Charadrius hiaticula)

The two below species are moved to the genus Thinornis.

1/ Long-billed plover (Choi choi lớn, Charadrius placidus)

2/ Little ringed plover (Choi choi nhỏ, Charadrius dubius) 
The specific dubius is Latin for doubtful, since Sonnerat, writing in 1776, thought this bird might be just a variant of common ringed plover.

Charadrius comes from the Ancient Greek kharadrios, meaning a bird found in river valleys or ravines ((kharadra) being ravine), and was later adopted into Late Latin. The Latin word charadrius described a yellowish bird mentioned in the Vulgate Bible.

Long-billed plover (Choi choi lớn, Thinornis placidus)
Formerly belonging to the genus Charadrius

The long-billed plover (Thinornis placidus) is a species of wading bird in the family Charadriidae.
The bird can be found in Bangladesh, Bhutan, Brunei, Cambodia, China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Laos, Malaysia, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal, North Korea, Russia, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam.

Charadrius, Charadriidae or Charadriiformes comes from the Ancient Greek kharadrios, meaning a bird found in river valleys or ravines ((kharadra) being ravine), and was later adopted into Late Latin. The Latin word Thinornis described a yellowish bird mentioned in the Vulgate Bible.

The genus name Thinornis is derived from Ancient Greek: "this" or "thinos" meaning "beach" or "sand," combined with "ornis" meaning "bird". Therefore, Thinornis literally translates to "beach bird" or "sand bird". 

Placidus is a Latin word meaning "gentle," "calm," "mild," "peaceful," or "placid".

Thinornis is a genus of plovers, a group of wading birds in the family Charadriidae, in the order Charadriiformes. 

The two below species formerly belonged to the genus Charadrius.

1/ Long-billed plover (Choi choi lớn, Thinornis placidus)

2/ Little ringed plover (Choi choi nhỏ, Thinornis dubius) 
The specific dubius is Latin for doubtful, since Sonnerat, writing in 1776, thought this bird might be just a variant of common ringed plover.

Charadrius, Charadriidae or Charadriiformes comes from the Ancient Greek kharadrios, meaning a bird found in river valleys or ravines ((kharadra) being ravine), and was later adopted into Late Latin. The Latin word Thinornis described a yellowish bird mentioned in the Vulgate Bible.

The genus name Thinornis is derived from Ancient Greek: "this" or "thinos" meaning "beach" or "sand," combined with "ornis" meaning "bird". Therefore, Thinornis literally translates to "beach bird" or "sand bird". 


The little ringed plover (Thinornis dubius) is a small plover of the family Charadriidae. 
The bird is native to the Old World and is a migratory species.

Identification:
- head pattern, 
- leg colour, 
- a clear yellow eye-ring.

Charadrius, Charadriidae or Charadriiformes comes from the Ancient Greek kharadrios, meaning a bird found in river valleys or ravines ((kharadra) being ravine), and was later adopted into Late Latin. The Latin word Thinornis described a yellowish bird mentioned in the Vulgate Bible.

The genus name Thinornis is derived from Ancient Greek: "this" or "thinos" meaning "beach" or "sand," combined with "ornis" meaning "bird". Therefore, Thinornis literally translates to "beach bird" or "sand bird". 

The specific dubius is Latin for doubtful, since Sonnerat, writing in 1776, thought this bird might be just a variant of common ringed plover.

Common ringed plover or ringed plover 
(Charadrius hiaticula)

The common ringed plover or ringed plover (Charadrius hiaticula) is a species of bird in the family Charadriidae. 
The bid breeds across much of northern Eurasia, as well as Greenland.

Identification:
- leg colour, 
- the head pattern, 
- the lack of an obvious yellow eye-ring.

Charadrius comes from the Ancient Greek kharadrios, meaning a bird found in river valleys or ravines ((kharadra) being ravine), and was later adopted into Late Latin. The Latin word charadrius described a yellowish bird mentioned in the Vulgate Bible.

Hiaticula is a Late Latin word meaning "dweller in a cleft" or "one who lives in a gap". It is formed from the Latin words hiatus ("cleft," "gap," or "opening") and -cola ("dweller" or "inhabiting") referring to a plover.

Anarhynchus is a genus of plovers formerly placed in the genus Charadrius.  

1/ Greater sand plover (Choi choi lưng hung, Anarhynchus leschenaultii) 
The specific leschenaultii commemorates the French botanist Jean Baptiste Leschenault de la Tour.

2/ Kentish plover (Choi choi cổ khoang, Anarhynchus alexandrinus) 

3/ Malaysian plover (Choi choi lưng đen, Anarhynchus peronii)

4/ Siberian sand plover (Anarhynchus mongolus) 
The specific mongolus is Latin and refers to Mongolia, which at the time of naming referred to a larger area than the present country.
The species was previously known as  "lesser sand plover".

5/ Oriental plover (Anarhynchus veredus), also known as the oriental dotterel

Charadriidae, Charadrius: Late Latin word for a yellowish bird mentioned in the fourth-century Vulgate; from Ancient Greek kharadrios a bird found in ravines and river valleys (kharadra, "ravine").
The genus name is from Ancient Greek ana meaning "backward", and rhunkhos meaning "bill".

Greater sand plover (Choi choi lưng hung, Anarhynchus leschenaultii) 

The greater sand plover (Anarhynchus leschenaultii) is a small wader in the plover family of birds.

The bird breeds in the semi-deserts of Turkey and eastwards through Central Asiae. This species is strongly migratory, wintering on sandy beaches in East Africa, South Asia and Australasia.

Charadriidae, Charadrius: Late Latin word for a yellowish bird mentioned in the fourth-century Vulgate; from Ancient Greek kharadrios a bird found in ravines and river valleys (kharadra, "ravine").
The genus name is from Ancient Greek ana meaning "backward", and rhunkhos meaning "bill".

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